In a screw cap pressure tube were N-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)-6-iodo-2-methyl-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxamide (135 mg, 0.30 mmol), Cs2CO3 (191.5 mg, 0.6 mmol), CuI (5.6 mg, 0.03 mmol) and 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenantroline (14.0 mg, 0.06 mmol)) suspended in benzyl alcohol (4.5 ml). N2 was bubbled through the suspension for 5 min. The tube was sealed and the mixture heated to 120° C. overnight. The mixture was allowed to cool. CH2Cl2 was added and the mixture washed with H2O, dried (MgSO4), filtered and concentrated. The crude mixture was purified by flash chromatography (CH2Cl2/MeOH 98:2→97:3) yielding 62 mg of the title compound (47%).
